MOVING 9/11 DRAMA, “THE GUYS," COMING TO SCSU

                                                         DAN LAURIA

The date 9/11/2001 is etched in our psyches and never to be erased. Each of us knows where we where that morning when our lives were devastated and permanently impacted by a series of unfathomable tragedies. Playwright Anne Nelson has taken that singular sensation and unthinkable occurrence and humanized it with one story of its overwhelming consequences. On Saturday, September 8 at 8 p.m., John Lyman Center at Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, in New Haven will reveal “The Guys,” a personal reflection on one aspect of grief.

As a fire captain who has lost eight of his colleagues and friends to the tragedy, Nick is paralyzed by the personal trauma, and unable to find the words to eulogize his men, “The Guys.” He turns to Joan, a writer and editor, to help him meet this challenge. Together they discover each man’s remarkable spirit and individual strengths and weaknesses, his talents, his personality, his contributions. The humanity of this small firehouse community is uncovered.

In the process, Nick and Joan learn the intricacies of their own lives, and unlock ways to heal their own heartaches. Being brought together by extraordinary circumstances, they form a bridge of communication. Come meet Dan Laurie as Nick and Wendie Malick as Joan as they struggle to find answers to their grief. This play, a hit off-off Broadway, is soon to be released as a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia.

For tickets ($35, students $10), call SCSU box office at 203-392-6154 or online at lymancenter@southernct.edu. A special VIP package for $100 is also available that includes premium seating, post-performance reception on stage, Meet and Greet, photo opportunity and autograph. Proceeds will support SCSU scholarships. Lauria is a graduate of the school.

This true story will touch your heart, with laughter and tears, in its honesty and courage to stand up to a tragedy and call upon the human spirit to overcome all obstacles. Dan Lauria and Wendie Malick will summon their inner strengths to bring this tale of compassion to a triumphant resolution.